Legolas returned to the Elvenking's Halls. Gonlyn greeted him as he
arrived.
"I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been?" Gonlyn asked. He also noticed a considerable change in Legolas's eyes.
"I'm leaving again," Legolas replied shortly and hurried on to the Horse Clearing. The Elves never stalled or tethered their horses, but let them roam freely. The horses stayed in the clearing most of the time.
"Leaving? Why must you speak in riddle today? Legolas!" Gonlyn followed quickly after him. "Where are you going? Has word come of more Orcs?"
They reached the Clearing and Legolas gave a short whistle. Arod trotted away from the other horses and came to Legolas's side. Legolas had decided where to seek the answers to his questions. Aragorn knew much of the old lore and would know how to help his friend. He had considered going to Gimli, but quickly changed his mind.
Legolas leapt nimbly onto Arod's back.
"Are you going to answer me?" Gonlyn asked, growing irritated.
"No word has come of more Orcs. I'm riding south and shall return in a few days." With that he turned Arod south and rode away.
Gonlyn watched him go, shaking his head.
* * *
Legolas reached Minas Tirith by mid-afternoon of the next day. Arod seemed to sense his master's urgency but he greatly appreciated the rest once he reached the stables of the City.
Young Bergil, Beregond's son, now 15 and a little more then 6 feet tall, was now guard at the innermost wall of the City. A grand honor for one so young, and he took pride in his duty. He greeted Legolas.
"Hail Master Legolas! 'Tis rare to see you around here these days," he said.
"Greetings young Bergil!" Legolas replied. "Please, if you would, notify King Elessar that he has a guest that greatly wishes to speak with him."
"Of course, Master Legolas! Right away!" Bergil then hurried into the guard shack nearby. Soon after, another young man quickly went to inform the King.
* * *
Not long afterward, Legolas and Aragorn walked along the Second Wall of Minas Tirith as the sun began to fall. At last Aragorn could take the silence no longer.
"You have seen the sun set many a time from Minas Tirith, and never has she changed her fashion of descent. Why now do you find it so appealing? You did wish to speak with me, did you not?" he asked with a questioning smirk.
Legolas sighed. "I'm afraid I am wounded, Aragorn."
"Wounded?" The answer sounded odd to Aragorn. "Are you in need of a physician?"
"No," Legolas replied, rather airily. "This is a wound to the heart, my friend."
Aragorn stopped short and gapped at his Elven companion. "You don't mean.do you?"
Legolas leaned against the stone balustrade and stared off over the land. "Yes Aragorn. I've been struck with an arrow unlike any made by Elven hands." He turned to his friend, leaning his back to the balustrade. His gray eyes danced with a mirth that Aragorn had never seen in them before.
"She is more lovely then any creature I've ever seen! More beautiful then the trees or the birds or even.even Lothlorien, if you can imagine! Her voice is like rain falling on the leaves of trees, and her movements are soft as the wind!"
Aragorn chuckled as he watched his friend dance around in front of him, recalling this beauty.
"She sounds a jewel worthy of a song," Aragorn said.
"Oh, more then a song!" Legolas exclaimed. "A thousand songs could not do her justice! There is no word in any tongue that could fully express her beauty! She is a single rose in a garden of thorns! And there is something about her.I don't know.it calls to me I guess."
"I hope you do not mention gardens of thorns around Master Samwise," Aragorn jested.
Legolas stopped his prancing and turned seriously to Aragorn. "Please Aragorn, you must help me," he said.
"Help you?" Aragorn laughed. "And what do you expect me to do? Give you lessons on courting a maiden?"
"Aragorn!" Legolas said impatiently. "I've have spent most of my life wondering the forest of Mirkwood, learning the ways of my people from generations upon generations back, training to become a great Elven warrior. I know nothing of love!"
Aragorn grinned broadly and shook his head. "You obviously know something of love, because if I am not mistaken and I rarely am, you Prince Legolas Greenleaf are in love." He rested his hand on Legolas's shoulder. "But perhaps I am not the one from whom you should be seeking council. Come! Dine in my hall as the esteemed guest you are. Then after your meal, I will send a councilor to assist you in your dilemma."
"You would rather put me off on one of your councilors then help me yourself?" Legolas was aghast.
Aragorn fought back the sudden urge to laugh. He set his face as stern as he possibly could.
"You do not question my word, do you Legolas?"
Legolas felt forsaken, almost rejected, that Aragorn would not help him. But he relented and followed Aragorn back to the high tower of Minas Tirith.
"I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been?" Gonlyn asked. He also noticed a considerable change in Legolas's eyes.
"I'm leaving again," Legolas replied shortly and hurried on to the Horse Clearing. The Elves never stalled or tethered their horses, but let them roam freely. The horses stayed in the clearing most of the time.
"Leaving? Why must you speak in riddle today? Legolas!" Gonlyn followed quickly after him. "Where are you going? Has word come of more Orcs?"
They reached the Clearing and Legolas gave a short whistle. Arod trotted away from the other horses and came to Legolas's side. Legolas had decided where to seek the answers to his questions. Aragorn knew much of the old lore and would know how to help his friend. He had considered going to Gimli, but quickly changed his mind.
Legolas leapt nimbly onto Arod's back.
"Are you going to answer me?" Gonlyn asked, growing irritated.
"No word has come of more Orcs. I'm riding south and shall return in a few days." With that he turned Arod south and rode away.
Gonlyn watched him go, shaking his head.
* * *
Legolas reached Minas Tirith by mid-afternoon of the next day. Arod seemed to sense his master's urgency but he greatly appreciated the rest once he reached the stables of the City.
Young Bergil, Beregond's son, now 15 and a little more then 6 feet tall, was now guard at the innermost wall of the City. A grand honor for one so young, and he took pride in his duty. He greeted Legolas.
"Hail Master Legolas! 'Tis rare to see you around here these days," he said.
"Greetings young Bergil!" Legolas replied. "Please, if you would, notify King Elessar that he has a guest that greatly wishes to speak with him."
"Of course, Master Legolas! Right away!" Bergil then hurried into the guard shack nearby. Soon after, another young man quickly went to inform the King.
* * *
Not long afterward, Legolas and Aragorn walked along the Second Wall of Minas Tirith as the sun began to fall. At last Aragorn could take the silence no longer.
"You have seen the sun set many a time from Minas Tirith, and never has she changed her fashion of descent. Why now do you find it so appealing? You did wish to speak with me, did you not?" he asked with a questioning smirk.
Legolas sighed. "I'm afraid I am wounded, Aragorn."
"Wounded?" The answer sounded odd to Aragorn. "Are you in need of a physician?"
"No," Legolas replied, rather airily. "This is a wound to the heart, my friend."
Aragorn stopped short and gapped at his Elven companion. "You don't mean.do you?"
Legolas leaned against the stone balustrade and stared off over the land. "Yes Aragorn. I've been struck with an arrow unlike any made by Elven hands." He turned to his friend, leaning his back to the balustrade. His gray eyes danced with a mirth that Aragorn had never seen in them before.
"She is more lovely then any creature I've ever seen! More beautiful then the trees or the birds or even.even Lothlorien, if you can imagine! Her voice is like rain falling on the leaves of trees, and her movements are soft as the wind!"
Aragorn chuckled as he watched his friend dance around in front of him, recalling this beauty.
"She sounds a jewel worthy of a song," Aragorn said.
"Oh, more then a song!" Legolas exclaimed. "A thousand songs could not do her justice! There is no word in any tongue that could fully express her beauty! She is a single rose in a garden of thorns! And there is something about her.I don't know.it calls to me I guess."
"I hope you do not mention gardens of thorns around Master Samwise," Aragorn jested.
Legolas stopped his prancing and turned seriously to Aragorn. "Please Aragorn, you must help me," he said.
"Help you?" Aragorn laughed. "And what do you expect me to do? Give you lessons on courting a maiden?"
"Aragorn!" Legolas said impatiently. "I've have spent most of my life wondering the forest of Mirkwood, learning the ways of my people from generations upon generations back, training to become a great Elven warrior. I know nothing of love!"
Aragorn grinned broadly and shook his head. "You obviously know something of love, because if I am not mistaken and I rarely am, you Prince Legolas Greenleaf are in love." He rested his hand on Legolas's shoulder. "But perhaps I am not the one from whom you should be seeking council. Come! Dine in my hall as the esteemed guest you are. Then after your meal, I will send a councilor to assist you in your dilemma."
"You would rather put me off on one of your councilors then help me yourself?" Legolas was aghast.
Aragorn fought back the sudden urge to laugh. He set his face as stern as he possibly could.
"You do not question my word, do you Legolas?"
Legolas felt forsaken, almost rejected, that Aragorn would not help him. But he relented and followed Aragorn back to the high tower of Minas Tirith.
